1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a pressure container for applying pressure to a flexible bag received in it and filled with a medical fluid, in order to deliver fluid from the flexible bag, having a housing that has an opening for introduction of the bag, having a cover for covering the opening, having an aperture for leading a fluid discharge line of the bag out of the pressure container, and having a closure for sealed joining of the cover and housing.
2. Related Prior Art
A pressure container of this kind is known from DE 41 37 748 A1.
In endoscopic investigations or endoscopic operations, it is often necessary to deliver a medical fluid for irrigating purposes. The pressure container cited initially is used for this purpose. The bag with the medical fluid received therein is introduced, together with its fluid discharge line mounted thereon, into the housing via the opening. The fluid discharge line, usually in the form of a thin tube, must then be either connected to a line leading out of the housing, or threaded through a corresponding opening, which is cumbersome and requires a great deal of attention. The housing is then sealingly closed with the cover via a closure. In the case of DE 41 37 748 A1 mentioned initially, the cover closes off the housing in the manner of a wine barrel, i.e. it is placed against the opening from the inside and locked with an externally rotatable locking element. The housing itself is configured as a rectangular cuboid. For large quantities of fluid (bags with capacities of up to 5 liters are in use), the housing must then be of a corresponding size and must not only withstand the usual pressures during handling, i.e. approximately 1-1.5 bar, but because of certification regulations must resist a test pressure of approx. 4.5 bar.
Handling with the pressure container cited initially is extraordinarily cumbersome; and because of the cuboidal geometry, joined or welded seams--which are correspondingly complex to produce--are provided along the cuboid edges. In the case of large pressure containers in particular, the apparatus is very bulky and extremely heavy.
Further containers of this kind, which in some cases also serve for the aspiration of fluids, are known from DE 25 36 746 C2, DE 28 55 270 A1, DE 35 35 180 A1, EP 0 040 427 A1, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,534.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to develop further a pressure container of the kind cited initially in such a way that it is of simple construction and simple to handle, and easily withstands pressure conditions, especially including test pressure conditions.